Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

The trail sits on the bed of a rail line first laid in the 1880s to haul silver, lead, timber, and freight out of the rich mines of the Coeur d'Alene district. For more than a century trains ran this corridor, feeding the mills and smelters of the Silver Valley, until the line was finally abandoned in 1991. What was left was a long, flat, continuous strip of public right-of-way running across the whole width of the Panhandle.

Turning it into a trail took years of work and an unusual amount of cleanup, because the valley's mining century had left heavy metals in the soil along the corridor. The old rail bed was capped and covered with a continuous ten-foot-wide bed of asphalt that both seals the ground and gives riders a smooth surface. The finished Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes opened in 2004, and in 2010 it was inducted into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame.

From Wallace the trail heads west down the valley, past the brick facades and old depots of the silver towns and along the upper Coeur d'Alene River. As it drops out of the mountains the country opens up, and the middle section along the river and the chain lakes is the scenic heart of the route. Here the water sits right at the edge of the pavement, the marshes fill with waterfowl in spring and fall, and moose, elk, deer, and osprey are all common sights.

Farther west the trail reaches the shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene and crosses the water on the long, low Chatcolet Bridge into Heyburn State Park, one of the highlights of the whole ride. From there it climbs the only real grade on the route, a gentle railroad-graded pull up onto the Palouse prairie, and ends at Plummer on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation. A companion trail heads north from the middle of the route toward the city of Coeur d'Alene, so the network keeps going if you want it to.

The Wallace trailhead is one of the easiest to find, tucked beside the historic Northern Pacific Depot on 6th Street just off Interstate 90, with parking and the depot museum right there. From here you can roll east toward Mullan and the mountains, or west down the valley toward Kellogg and the river, and either direction is flat and forgiving. A short out-and-back to stretch your legs works as well as an all-day push.

There is nothing to pay and nothing to sign up for. Bring water and a hat, keep to the paved surface, and go as far as suits you. Because the grade never changes, distance on this trail is a matter of time and mood rather than fitness, which is exactly what makes it such a good stop for a road trip with a mix of ages and abilities in the car.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes is a beautiful paved rail-trail stretching over seventy miles across the Idaho Panhandle, following a former railroad route through stunning and varied scenery from the Washington border across northern Idaho toward Montana. The flat, paved trail passes lakes, rivers, wetlands, forests, mountains, and historic mining towns, offering wonderful biking, walking, and wildlife viewing, including a scenic stretch along Lake Coeur d'Alene and the chain lakes. One of the premier rail-trails in the country, it showcases the beauty of the region. With its long scenic paved path, the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes offers a delightful destination in Idaho.

You can bike, walk, or run the long paved trail through the varied scenery of lakes, rivers, wetlands, forests, and mountains, watch for abundant wildlife including moose, ospreys, and waterfowl in the wetlands, pass through historic mining towns, enjoy the scenic stretch along Lake Coeur d'Alene, and choose from short sections or longer rides. The scenic, easy riding and the wildlife are highlights, with the flat paved surface making it accessible to all. With its scenic paved path, wildlife, and varied landscapes, the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes offers a rewarding outdoor experience across the Idaho Panhandle.

Yes, the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes is excellent for families, as its flat, paved surface following an old railroad grade makes for easy, comfortable biking and walking for all ages and abilities, while the beautiful scenery, wildlife, and trailside towns keep the ride enjoyable, and you can choose short, manageable sections. Bike rentals are available in trail towns. The gentle grade suits children and casual riders. With its easy paved path, scenery, and wildlife, the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes makes a wonderful family destination in the Idaho Panhandle.

Late spring through fall is the prime time for biking and walking the trail, with summer offering warm weather and lush scenery, spring bringing greenery and active wildlife in the wetlands, and fall bringing beautiful color to the forests and hills, a favorite time. Portions may be snowy in winter. The scenery is beautiful throughout the warm season. For the best combination of pleasant weather, wildlife, and scenery, aim for late spring through fall, with fall especially colorful, on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes in Idaho.

The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes crosses the Idaho Panhandle, passing near Lake Coeur d'Alene with the Coeur d'Alene City Beach and Tubbs Hill, the chain lakes, Heyburn State Park, and the historic mining towns of the Silver Valley near the Pulaski Tunnel Trail. That makes the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes a delightful route to combine with the Coeur d'Alene attractions, Heyburn State Park, and the other sights of the Idaho Panhandle on a visit to the state.